Copywriting, direct response, direct mail, sales letters, Internet offers, brochures, web site content, email campaigns, print ads, yellow-page ads, advertorials, catalogs, press releases, radio scripts, TV scripts, case studies, white papers, marketing campaigns

  YOUR PRODUCT (SERVICE OR BUSINESS)

• Briefly explain what it does ... in just a few words ... as if you were explaining to a child.
  
  
• Give me your "quick pitch" ... like you just met a new prospect and have about 30 seconds to explain why she'll want your product.
  
  
• Explain the benefits of your product. What does it do for your customer? How does it improve their life? (How does it make them wealthy, healthy or happy?) What's in it for them? What do they like most about it? Why do they want it?
  
  
• Now give all its physical attributes, specifications and characteristics ... consider each a nugget of gold ... the more you tell, the more I can sell.
  
  
• Is there a story behind your product/service/business? Stories can be a goldmine for sales. How did your product come about? Why did you create it? Why is it successful?
  
  
• When you offer something that's one-of-a-kind you can dramatically increase your profile and your sales. What separates you from your competition? What features and benefits do you offer that none (or few) of your competitors do?
  
  
• Do you have any testimonials or endorsements?
  
  
• What's your product's price?
  
  
• What's the offer? (Including: any extras/bonuses? Special savings? Limited time offer?)
  
  
• What problem are people trying to resolve by using your product?
  
  
• How will your product resolve their problem?
  
  
• Any other essential points to include?
  
  
• What are the biggest reason(s) people might be interested but decide NOT to buy? (Addressing objections increases response.)
  
  
• Taboos?  Anything in particular that must NOT be said?
  
  
• Who are your top competitors?
  
  
• Is there a guarantee?  What is the guarantee?
  
  
• Your business and yourself ... any special history, credentials, achievements, experience, or authority?
  
  
• Anything else you'd like to tell about your product and why it should be a great success?
  
  
• Can you relate actual experiences of customers with the product. Why do they like it? What did it do for them?
  
  
  

     YOUR PROMOTION

• What's it's name?
  
  
• What's the format? (Direct mail? Web landing page? Squeeze page? Print ad? Email campaign? Radio/TV script? Please give all relevant dimensions and specifications.)
  
  
• What's the deadline?
  
  
• What do you want your audience to do? (Visit website? Place order online? Download demo or report? Call 1-800 number? Visit physical location?)
  
  
• How does it fit into your marketing strategy? What's been previously communicated?

YOUR CUSTOMERS

•  Who is the target audience?
  
  
•  What are their demographics? (Age, gender, employment, income  level ... as many details as possible.)
  
  
•  What are their psychographics? (Interests, lifestyle, culture, hobbies,  purchase history.)
  
  
•  What are their technographics? (Computer literate, very computer  literate, Internet user, online purchaser, other specialized knowledge.)
  
  
•  What motivates the people in this group? What's important to them?
  
  
•  What words or language will get through to them? What will turn their  heads and really get their attention?
  
  
•  Why do they need what you're offering? Why do they need it now?
  
  
•  What's their main concern about this type of product? Price, delivery,  performance, reliability, maintenance, support, quality, availability,  efficiency?
  
  
•  What theme or angle should your promotion exploit?
  
  
•  What tone should the copy take? Light, humorous, hard-hitting, serious,  official, friendly?
  
  
•  Customer testimonials? Consider testimonials gold. They are perhaps the most potent way to enhance your credibility and motivate your customers to buy/act.

PRODUCT INFORMATION MATERIALS

The list is big. You don't have to complete it ... not by half. The more you can and do complete it ... the better.

The better your writer (or anyone who's selling for you) understands your product, your company, your customers, and your overall marketing strategy ... the better they'll be able to produce for you.

•  Advertising plans
•  Articles
•  Catalogues
•  Company brochure
•  Company memos on product
•  Creative brief(s)
•  Competitor's ads, literature and Web site
•  Customer testimonials and complaints
•  Direct mail packages
•  Engineer drawings
•  Focus group transcripts
•  Marketing plan
•  Market research
•  Names and phone numbers of key company people to call for further  information (including sales people)
•  Names and phone numbers of customers to get their point of view
•  Newsletters
•  Package copy (labels)
•  Press kits
•  Previous advertising
•  Product sample
•  Product reviews
•  Product specifications
•  Sales figures
•  Technical papers
•  User manuals